The Download Interviews: Slipknot

Chris (the one with the long nose!) from Slipknot talks to VF in advance of their Download appearance.

Slipknot Interview : Page 1 of 2

VF:A lot of people wondered if you'd ever do a third album - now that you have and you're reported to
be feeling a lot more like a band again then can people look forward to more future releases, and what affect will this have
on side project bands?

Chris: Well right now it's just all about slipknot, you know. If we do continue to have side projects
after this album, then we'll go off and do our side projects and then reform again after that. It may be that that's the way
things work from now on. But right now, no one has any side projects on their mind - its such a great record and we're more
excited than ever to be on the road again together - it's really all Slipknot.

VF:How do you feel about your new album Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) getting leaked onto the Internet,
before it's release?

Chris: I wasn't aware that it had been leaked. But you know we work really hard to make sure that type
of thing doesn't happen - to keep everything under lock and key all the time. I only got my copy yesterday belive it or not.
We keep a tight reign on our music now a days.

VF: Your first two albums were heavy and brutal, focusing on aggression and speed. However in listening
to songs from the new album its apparant that this one will see you focus more on the musicianship (particularly with Mick
and Jim).......what made you swap pummelingly fast tunes for guitar solos?

Chris: Well, basically we showed up with no direction, that's one thing we wanted to do was not have a
set plan as far as the new record is concerned. And so what we did was basically go in with a few songs we wrote back in Iowa
- just to have something to work with and it just took off from there. Rick Ruben was instrumental in saying 'don't be afraid
to do anything you want on this record,' and we certainly did that.

VF: Claiming to be such a heavy band who 'push the envelope' and with the backing of legends like Slayer,
do you feel compelled to try and produce a 'radio hit' single on each of your albums? If so,Doesn't this sit uncomfortably
with everything Slipknot want
to represent?

Chris: No we don't - it's more the case that one song tends to stand out, because you know we really don't
get any love from radio or MTV, or anything like that - it's quite rare that they accept anything from us ..you know. It's
just basically our core fans that really keep this band alive, the love they have for this band and the love that we have
for them. So no we don't go 'hey lets sit down and write a single', it's just if the best possible song we have on the
album makes it to the radio, then hey that's great.

VF: So you're not worried about how the radio/media feel about you, you're more interested in how your
fans feel about the band?

Chris: Yes, It doesn't really matter to us, our fans don't need a radio single to like this band - they
liked the frst two records which didn't really have any singles like that. They love Slipknot and the live show and that's what we go off on.